Pillow.



S. LEAVITT.

PILLOW.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. I916.

Patented J an. 16, 1917.

mmms,

ammo a SHELDON LEHV ITT SHELDON LEAVITT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PILLOW.

Application filed April 27, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SHELDON LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pillows, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved pillow and has for its primary object to provide what may be aptly termed a physiological pillow which is so constructed that its use will have a corrective influence, whereby certain physical malformations and derangements 0f the nervous system, incident to the use of the common type of pillow, are remedied.

. It is one of the more particular objects of the invention to provide a pillow of improved form and construction whereby the tendency of the shoulder of the sleeper to ride upwardly upon the pillow is obviated and lateral curvature of the spine and round shoulders, which is a common result thereof, thereby corrected or obviated.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a pillow of exceedingly simple construction having means for obtaining access to its interior so that the individual user may pack the same to a desirable degree of hardness, as may be required in view of the diagnosis of the users physical condition and the particular disorders which are to be corrected.

It is also anotherobject of the invention to provide a pillow which may be commercially manufactured and sold at small cost and will have the above noted beneficial effects and the individual user may readily accustom himself to the use thereof.

With the above and other objects inv view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the ac- .companying drawing, in which, Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation illustrating the position of the head and trunk of the sleeper with respect to the pillow; P lg. 3 is a similar view illus trating, for comparative purposes, the reclining posture of the sleeper upon the common type of pillow; and Fig. is a plan view illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

Serial No. 93,939.

Before proceeding with the detail description of the invention forming the subjectmatter of the present application, it is advisable, in order that the material advantages of my improved pillow may be fully understood and appreciated, to first point out several of the disastrous effects upon the physical and nervous organisms incident to the long continued use of the commonly used pillow. It is quite common for the sleeper, in his efforts to obtain comfort, to endeavor to raise the head as high as possible upon the pillow, and in doing so assume the posture shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, where it will be noted that the head is disposed high upon the pillow and the neck is flexed at a considerable angle, the soft pillow bellying out beneath the head against the lower shoulder. Such a position continuously assumed through habit during the sleeping hours, will result in a lateral curvature of the spine, as indicated in the drawing, and also interfere with the proper function of the great nerve trunks in the neck. The chin is crowded down toward the chest of the sleeper which eventually will result in a sagging of the facial tissues. It is well known and generally acknowledged by well known medical experts, that the head should be in a direct line with the trunk, as this is the natural position, and a long, continued disposition of the head at an angle with respect to the line of the spinal column, will invariably result in certain physical disorders eventually becoming permanent, and serious derangement of the nervous system. It is with a view to providing means for exercising a corrective influence upon such disastrous results flowing from the use of the ordinary pillow, that the present invention has been devised. To this end, I pref era'bly construct the improved pillow as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

A suitable ticking is used to provide the walls of the container for the stufling or material with which the pillow is packed. 5 designates the marginal strip of such ticking which is of the required width in accordance with the desired thickness of the pillow which is determined with regard to the measurements of the individual for whom the pillow is tobe particularly constructed. T he edges of this marginal wall are stitch-ed or otherwise secured to the edges of the horiaontal body walls 6 of the pillow which are of like material. The opposite ends of the ends of the pillow to its center, as indicated at 7; There is thus produced a pillow of box-like form, the four corners of which project outwardly beyond the medial portion of the pillow. In other words, by pro viding the curved longitudinal edges 7 it will be seen that the pillow is widest at its -opposite ends and, gradually narrows to its central portion. In one of the longitudinal curved edges 7 of the pillow, a slit or placket opening 8 is provided, to be closed by buttons or other suitable fasteners. This placket, of course, provides convenient means whereby access may be readily obtained to the interior of the pillow to remove or add to its contents which is preferably of hair, whereby the pillow will retain its shape. Thus, in beginning the use of my improved pillow, the same may be loosely packed and the pillow gradually made harder by adding additional hair, so that the head of the sleeper will not subside or sink into a depression formed in the body of the pillow.

In Fig. 4: of the drawing, I have shown a slightly modified form of the pillow where- V in the opposite ends of the same are rounded, as at 9, and one longitudinal side of the pil low is formed with a deep curve or indentation 10, while the oppositelongitudinal side thereof has a relatively shallow, inward curvature, as at 11. It is also apparent that various other alternative forms wherein the longitudinal edges of the pillow may have curvatures of various degrees, may be constructed in like manner. as above described,-

to satisfy the individual requirements.

It will be manifest from reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing, that the shoulder of the sleeper cannot over-ride the edge of the pillow and thereby tend to produce spinal curvature, but the pillow being properly constructed in a-ccor ance with the measurements .of the individual user, the head will be supported in a horizontal position on a level with the trunk and the spinal column will remain straight. In the attempt to reach a comfortable position, the sleeper crawls higher upon the pillow 'until the shoulder also rests thereon so that there will result even a greater curvature of the spine than is illustrated in Fig. 3; and such a position assumed for many hours on successive nights, has been found to greatly irritate thenerve roots through the repeated pinching thereof, so that, there is developed spinal irritation,-or, in modern terminology,

what is known asneuritis. t

From close observation, and the process which does not aflord a proper support for the head of the sleeper. In such cases, I have witnessed a substantial improvement .in the physical condition and the nervous system after a short period of use of a pillow of the improved type above described.

From the foregoing description, the manner of construction of the pillow will be clearly and fully understood, and the manner in which the defects of the ordinary pillow are overco'me and the desired purpose accomplished by means of the present invention will also be'manifest. As above stated, the pillows are made to order after a diagnosis of the physical and nervous condition of the individual, and in accordance with the measurements which have been taken. The pillow is, of course, inclosed within a suitable linen case which is made to properly fit thereover. The pillow may be constructed so that when fully stuffed, it would be of the desired height by employing a marginal band or wall 5.of the requisite width, as will be readily understood.

The pillows can, of course, be made in va rious sizes and other shapes than indicated in the accompanying drawlng.

NVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several features of the device, it is obvious that the same is susceptible of a great many other modifications in the form and proportion of its several structural features, I

'and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such. legitimate changes as may 'be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

By the provision of the opening 8 in the tick or case of the pillow, the contents thereof may be stirred up or agitated at frequent intervals, and in this manner prevented from matting. Also, the entire contents may be removed and thoroughly cleansed and the ticking washed. Thus, the pillow,

can easily be kept in a sanitary condition.

In some instances, it may be desirable to make one longitudinal edge portion 70f the pillow higher than the other so as to support the sleepers head at a slight inclination.

Such a construction is obviously but a slight change in shape and within the scope of the present invention.

Having thus full described my inven tion, what I desireto claim and secureby Letters Patent is 1. A pillow having a case conslstmg'of opposed body walls and a marginal wall of uniform width connected to the edges of e I said body walls, 'the opposite longitudinal portions of the marginal wall and the corresponding edges of the body walls being the pillow to its center and one of the longitudinal portions of the marginal wall having a slit therein and closure means for the same, and a suitable packing adapted to be inserted within the case or removed therefrom through said slit, said case when packed assuming a box-like form having concave longitudinal edges, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A pillow having a case including opposed loody walls and a marginal wall connected to the body walls at their edges, one

of the longitudinal edges of the body walls and the corresponding portion of said marginal wall being concavely curved from the opposite ends of the pillow to its center, said marginal wall being provided with a slit and -closure means therefor, and suitable packing material adapted to be inserted in or removed from the case through said slit, said case when packed assuming a box-like form having a concave side wall,-as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I SHELDON LEAVITT. Witnesses:

NETTIE ZOLLINGER, E. C. SMITH. 

